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Canadian Police Blame Sons of Anarchy for Rise in Motorcycle Gangs

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have blamed the rise in Nova Scotia motorcycle gangs on the influence of the FX series Sons Of Anarchy. In a recent presentation, the constable of the Criminal Intelligence Service of Nova Scotia explained how the television show has promoted the appeal of the motorcycle gang lifestyle.

Sons Of Anarchy was an American crime drama that followed the lives of an outlaw motorcycle club that aimed to protect the town of Charming, California while still operating a number of illegal businesses. Created by Kurt Sutter and starring the likes of Charlie Hunnam and Katey Sagal, the series’ first premiered on FX in 2008 and quickly gathered quite the fan base. Sons Of Anarchy ran for a total of seven seasons, concluding with airing its final episode in December 2014. Despite the series having come to an end, it’s still very well-known throughout the television industry as being one of the hallmarks of present day television. With a rating of an impressive 90 percent on the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, the show still has an esteemed audience base all over the globe.

However, The Wrap reports the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have blamed the series for the recent increase in motorcycle gang activity. In a recent presentation, constable Scott Morrison told the Board of Police Commissioners that the show has created a negative impact on the community by idolizing and socializing the motorcycle club "lifestyle." He went on to explain how people are being led to believe that these clubs are more like "brotherhoods" and join up not knowing the reality of the situation.

“People look at that and they think, ‘Oh that’s an attractive lifestyle. They’re making money, riding their bikes, they’re doing this, they don’t have any problems with anyone.”

The constable continued on to talk about how citizens are joining these clubs without realizing the violent reality of the trade. In his comments made during the presentation, he pointed out that citizens are being led astray and become involved in the violent lifestyle that’s not accurately showcased on the television show. Presently, there are between 100 and 200 active motorcycle gang members across Nova Scotia, with the number only rising further in recent years. Since 2014, the RCMP have issued a number of warnings regarding the latest uprising of the Hells Angels in the area. In recent times, they’ve also pinpointed and picked up on a number of smaller "support clubs" that focus on raising money and increasing the reputation of the Hells Angels to support the further development of a new chapter.

While the series has indeed come to an end, there is still very much a prominent fan base that does indeed seem to idealize the type of lifestyles that are showcased. Of course, the majority of audience members will remain conscious that the reality of motorcycle clubs is very different to the context that they are portrayed in in the series, though it wouldn’t be surprising if there was a positive correlation between the increase in motorcycle clubs and the increase in fans of the show. While the latest data from the RCMP does show a direct link, there’s no concrete evidence that the increase in motorcycle club activity is inherently a result of the show itself.